Dengue fever in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore and Indonesia

The following countries and areas are reporting large numbers of cases of dengue fever:

• In Thailand, there have been 1,433 cases of dengue fever, with 1 death, reported so far this year. Last year (2013) was the worst year for dengue in the past 20 years with a total of 152,768 dengue cases and 132 deaths. Outbreaks of dengue fever have become increasingly frequent over the past 25 years.
• In Malaysia, there have been 13,915 cases in just the first 6 weeks of this year. Many of the cases have occurred in Selangor State (districts of Subang Jaya and Petaling).
• Singapore continues to report many cases of dengue (2,435 cases so far this year).
• Indonesia has reported 2 deaths and 1,168 cases in Jakarta. Many cases of dengue fever are not reported. Counting and reporting cases may be difficult due to lack of local access to health care. Many persons with mild illness do not seek health care. Travellers to areas where the dengue fever virus is active can reduce their risk of exposure by taking all necessary precautions to avoid mosquito bites.